The Boston Molasses Disaster
also known as the Great Molasses Flood and the Great Boston Molasses Tragedy, occurred on January 15, 1919, in the North End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts in the United States. A large molasses tank burst, and a wave of molasses rushed through the streets at an estimated 35 mph (56 km/h), killing 21 and injuring 150. The event has entered local folklore, and residents claim that on hot summer days, the area still smells of molasses.[1]
The disaster occurred at the Purity Distilling Company facility on January 15, 1919, an unusually warm day. At the time, molasses was the standard sweetener in the United States. Molasses can also be fermented to produce rum and ethyl alcohol, the active ingredient in other alcoholic beverages and a key component in the manufacturing of munitions at the time.[2] The stored molasses was awaiting transfer to the Purity plant situated between Willow Street and what is now named Evereteze Way in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Near Keany Square,[3] at 529 Commercial Street, a huge molasses tank 50 ft (15 m) tall, 90 ft (27 m) in diameter and containing as much as 2,300,000 US gal (8,700,000 L) collapsed. Witnesses stated that as it collapsed, there was a loud rumbling sound like a machine gun as the rivets shot out of the tank, and that the ground shook as if a train were passing by.[4]
The collapse unleashed an immense wave of molasses between 8 and 15 ft (2.5 to 4.5 m) high, moving at 35 mph (56 km/h), and exerting a pressure of 2 ton/ft² (200 kPa).[5] The molasses wave was of sufficient force to break the girders of the adjacent Boston Elevated Railway\’s Atlantic Avenue structure and lift a train off the tracks. Nearby, buildings were swept off their foundations and crushed. Several blocks were flooded to a depth of 2 to 3 feet (60 to 90 cm). As described by author Stephen Puleo,
Molasses, waist deep, covered the street and swirled and bubbled about the wreckage. Here and there struggled a form — whether it was animal or human being was impossible to tell. Only an upheaval, a thrashing about in the sticky mass, showed where any life was… Horses died like so many flies on sticky fly-paper. The more they struggled, the deeper in the mess they were ensnared. Human beings — men and women — suffered likewise.[6]
The Boston Globe reported that people “were picked up by a rush of air and hurled many feet.” Others had debris hurled at them from the rush of sweet-smelling air. A truck was picked up and hurled into Boston Harbor. Approximately 150 were injured; 21 people and several horses were killed — some were crushed and drowned by the molasses. The wounded included people, horses, and dogs; coughing fits became one of the most common ailments after the initial blast.
Anthony di Stasio, walking homeward with his sisters from the Michelangelo School, was picked up by the wave and carried, tumbling on its crest, almost as though he were surfing. Then he grounded and the molasses rolled him like a pebble as the wave diminished. He heard his mother call his name and couldn\’t answer, his throat was so clogged with the smothering goo. He passed out, then opened his eyes to find three of his sisters staring at him.[1]
Half and Half
Mrs. Murphy is very fat, and the other day, laden with parcels and
packages, she was trying to mount the steps of a Dublin tramcar.
Helplessly looking on, stood the conductor, a diminutive little chap.
Mrs. Murphy, having reached the platform, said, with a glance of
withering scorn: ‘If ye was half a man ye would have helped me up.
The little conductor calmly replied: ‘Shure, ma’am, if ye was half a
woman I would!
Find black waldo
Tags:Racist, Visual Tricks, WTF
when you see it you… you know
Barrel Monster!
original link:
www.newraleigh.com/articles/archive/barrel-monster-spotted-on-hillsborough-street/
Pics From My New Camera
I bought a Canon SX200 and its totally badass. I used the super macro constantly.
Danica Patrick
Tags:danica patrick, Sexy, Sports, Tattoos
Shiatsu Self Massage
Anyone use this? Does it work? I remember doing the Decision Making one in Jr High. I guess my teacher was kinda a hippy.
Half Deep
Coming to a river with which he was unfamiliar, a traveller asked a
youngster if it was deep.
‘No, replied the boy, and the rider started to cross, but soon found
that he and his horse had to swim for their lives.
When the traveller reached the other side he turned and shouted: ‘I
thought you said it wasn’t deep?
‘It isn’t, was the reply; ‘it only takes grandfather’s ducks up to
their middles!
Susceptibility to Religion
Tags:homeopathy, Humor, Religion
Primary Susceptibility to Religion, Superstition, Homeopathy, etc.
Any last words?
Tags:Cute As Hell Animals, Dark Humor, Nature
Consider it an invitation to caption the fish.
Calendar, July, Stooges, Jets, Aircraft, P51, F22
So this month I was feeling board and added two different calendars. I have been on a big Three Stooges kick lately. But then again I just couldn\’t pass up the P51 and the F22 flying together. If anyone else wants to build some calendars and other types of overlays check out bighugelabs.com/. I have nothing to do with them except building quick desktop calendars.
Why paper bags are essential
…or not. W/out a paper bag, this chick ain’t gettin’ nuthin and that’s a good thing.
A Large Planet Orbiting a Small Star
Can a planet be as large as the star that it orbits? Recent observations have discovered that nearby Van Biesbroeck\’s star might have just such a large planet.
APOD
Soke Masaaki Hatsumi
Soke or Grandmaster of Bujinkan, which is the martial art I am currently taking. This guy is a real ninja.
Khorne Flakes
Milk! WHERE IS THE MILK WE WERE PROMISED!?!?!
WE NEED MORE GLORIOUS WHOLESOME MILK!!
MILK FOR THE KHORNE FLAKES!
MILK FOR THE KHOOOORNEEE FLAKKESSS!!
MILK, I ACHE FOR THE TASTE OF MILK!
WHY ARE WE OUT HERE, WHEN WE COULD BE IN THE THICK OF BREAKFAST!
YES. Spoons!…….weee neeeeed spooooooons….
Faulty Traffic Camera
A man was driving when a traffic camera flashed. He thought his picture was taken for exceeding the speed limit, even though he knew he was not speeding. Just to be sure, he went around the block and passed the same spot, driving even more slowly, but again the camera flashed. He thought this was quite funny, so he slowed down even further as he drove past the area, but the traffic camera flashed yet again. He tried a fourth time with the same result. The fifth time he was laughing when the camera flashed as he rolled past at a snail’s pace. Two weeks later, he got five traffic fine letters in the mail for driving without a seat belt.
– Bits & Pieces » Traffic camera
from tikiwebgroup.com
Please go rate this post on TikiHumor.
Please add your own jokes.
Sacrifice
Tags:Humor, Motivational Posters, Wallpaper
![40k_Sacrifice[1].jpg (104 KB)](https://www.myconfinedspace.com/wp-content/uploads/tdomf/84210/40k_Sacrifice[1]-500x400.jpg)
James Cameron’s Avatar
Tags:Fantasy - Science Fiction, Movies
James Cameron\’s return to feature films.
Filmmakers (including Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson) who have seen the sets/finished footage have claimed that it will change cinema.
Initial reports from journalists look good, too: io9.com/5302057/journalists-see-camerons-avatar-lose-their-minds
Devil’s magic
Love the translation:
“Magic of computer is a devil’s magic. Youth gets destruction of integrity of reality, the perceptance of the around life is being torn to pieces, like a computer game in which you can restart as many times as you like from the beginning. Young people turn into bio-robots and it’s very pity.”
